From a volunteer to full time professional tailor

Located at Ahuia St, Section 9 Lot 52 Gordons, National Capital District is Tual Immess Tailoring which supplies men and women tailored suites, lawyers’ gowns and bibs, school uniforms, graduation gowns and dresses, children, work; special day evening and casual wears. Tual Immess also produces karate uniforms and does alterations and has been operating in the current location for the past six years. The owner is a Seven Day Adventists (SDA) volunteer cum professional tailor puts her faith in God Almighty with whom all things are possible. Her name is Lady Rossica Salika from Madang province. She is a committed member of the SDA church where she does volunteer work. Salika was once looking after about 3,000 women in her church group network doing volunteer work, sharing food, clothes and money to the poor and impoverished around the city. The breakthrough for Lady Salika came when she was offered an AUSAID scholarship to study Fashion and Design in Bendigo Regional TAFE College in Australia. After completing her Certificate IV she continued and graduated in 2002 with a diploma majoring in Clothing and Footwear. She designs clothes, bags and even sandals or shoes but sadly there aren’t any factories here in Papua New Guinea for shoes. When she left for studies she did not have any idea about tailoring, design and even sewing nor any experience at all in doing business after she graduated. Armed with her diploma certificate she resigned from her fulltime paid job with the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations. She soon got her tailoring business set up and in 2006 registered Rossal Tual Immes Limited now trading as Tual Immess Tailoring with PNG IPA. She also obtained her first Tax Identification Number (TIN) with Internal Revenue Commission in 2009. Lady Salika then trained others in sewing, grooming and counselling services. She got her car stolen three times during her volunteer work; the grace of the almighty God has guided her and returned her car. Like others, Lady Salika has her own version of struggles and hardships that she encountered when she started her business and the rest is now history. Whilst commenting on the current fashion industry and the dressing code in Papua New Guinean she said, “Pacific is lost in PNG, we have to dress and promote our identity. Meri blouses must be worn with dresses or lap laps not with shorts. Look at other island countries and the way they dress, will tell where they come from.” “I have noticed over the years, most Papua New Guineans have overlooked locally owned and operated tailoring businesses. They want to go to shops owned by expatriates which is good but we must promote our local businesses and the money remains here in the country. The unique identity signifies the importance of what you are and what others think of you,” Lady Salika said. As a judge’s wife she gave an example about the dressing code using that of a bib worn by lawyers, magistrates and judges. “A bib must cover the collar of the shirt and the neck tie when worn, the bib when worn correctly signifies the importance of being a lawyer and he or she must dress neatly before the court where you will gain respect, trust and confidence from your clients during court and even from the magistrate or the judge either on the lower or upper courts,” Lady Salika said. It’s a testimony to her Christian faith that she acknowledges everyday through prayers. Lady Salika usually had lunch time prayer with her workers and others located in the same building and I was invited during a lunch hour when she opened our meeting with a word of prayer. “Always be honest with God and you will be elevated to gain new heights regardless of your back ground or who you are,” she advised.